Working journalists are frontline Covid-19 warriors: Odisha CM

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the eastern Indian state of Odisha today announced working journalists of the state as "frontline Covid-19 warriors".

Approving a proposal to this effect, he said journalists are doing a great service to the state by providing seamless news feed and making people aware of coronavirus-related issues.

"They are a great support for our war against COVID-19," a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said.

The decision would benefit as many as 6,944 working journalists of the state who have been covered under a medical insurance scheme providing health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh each, the statement said.

Odisha has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh for the next of kin of journalists who die of Covid-19 while performing their duty, it said.

After being declared as frontline workers by the state government, journalists will now get priority in the vaccination programme, sources said.

As many as eleven newspersons have died of Covid-19 in Odisha since the beginning of the pandemic last year, sources said.